(similar question from @kylewis09) It’s a bit of a stretch for to call a sixth-round pick a “miss”; evidently Alfred Morris’ success raised the bar for late-rounders considerably. I think they gave Rambo a shot at starting but he proved not to be ready. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him this year and certainly not for the rest of his career. Like most sixth-rounders he needs time to develop and if he can develop into being a competent starter it will be a huge hit for the Redskins. If he ends up playing special teams and playing in rotation and spot starting the rest of his career, that’s about what the level of expectation for a sixth-rounder should be.

He was last on the depth chart even in training camp. Robinson was never going to be ahead of the top four on the depth chart. But he did have a chance to earn more snaps than he’s been getting. But he simply has to make that play in the end zone against the Lions. That’s why he’s here. A player like Robinson isn’t going to get a ton of opportunities once the games start to count. The only way he can earn more snaps is to make plays when he has the opportunity. But his mistake possibly cost his team the game and he’s going to have to do a lot to make up for it.

(similar questions from @MrBoonsta, @Joe_V_, @MC_Brooks) Anyone who is looking for the return of Jarvis Jenkins and Rob Jackson to transform the defense is probably going to be disappointed. Jenkins will start if not immediately then in a week or two. But he’s a marginal starter at a position that doesn’t have a huge impact on a 3-4 defense to begin with. Jackson is a reserve and the two players in front of him, Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo, are two of the very few bright spots on defense. Jim Haslett will work to get Jackson on the field in some packages with the other two OLB’s and maybe even rookie Brandon Jenkins to generate pass rush. But don’t look for Jackson to get any regular snaps on the inside; at 6-feet-4 his height would work against him when it came to fighting off blocks.

@Rich_TandlerCSN Why not make the no huddle more prevalent to start games and avoid early deficits?

The Redskins did get a spark from the hurry-up offense, no question about it. But would they get that spark if they ran it more? Maybe, but it’s no sure thing. I asked Kyle Shanahan about it after the Eagles game and he said that you don’t just slap the no-huddle on top of your offense; your offense has to be tailored to it for it to work consistently. If going no-huddle was a magic potion for moving the ball than the huddle would become a thing of the past for all 32 NFL teams. It’s best used as a surprise tactic on occasion. Should they pull it out more than they have? I think so. Robert Griffin III seems to be perfectly suited to running it and in the small sample size we have, it was effective.

@Rich_TandlerCSN What kind of contract will the Redskins be looking to give Brian Orakpo after this season?

(similar questions from @DaveWillHTTR, @RTubman) It’s too early to tell. If Orakpo keeps up his current pace and ends up with 12 sacks and leads the team in hits and hurries like he is now, he’s probably looking at something with an $8-$10 million per year range, let’s say 5 years, $48 million with $18 million guaranteed. If he falls off, he’s looking at $8 million/year and down. If he blows up and posts 16 sacks and picks off a pass or two and scores a touchdown, then we’re talking something in the neighborhood of Clay Matthews’ $13 million/year extension. The could franchise him if they want to keep him and can’t come to a deal; that would cost the Redskins something around $10 million for 2014.

@Rich_TandlerCSN wouldn’t you think ahmad black is an upgrade over a gumbs or pugh? is he that much of a liability in coverage?

I’ll admit that I’m not that familiar with the play of former Bucs safety Black. I do think that the fact that the 0-4 Bucs cut him says something. So does the fact that he has over 100 snaps from this year on tape and no team in a league where safety play is generally pretty bad decided to claim him. Perhaps he would be an upgrade but I have very rarely seen the waiver wire as a solution to in-season problems. The Redskins did bring in 18 street free agents to try out but they were merely collecting data in case someone gets injured and a need arises. As they did last year, they will attempt to pull out of their issues with the players who for the most part have been with them through OTAs, minicamp, and training camp. Rarely are solutions found on the street.

That’s all I have room for here. If I didn’t hit your question here I’ll try to answer on Twitter.

I would agree that if Orakpo got 16 sacks he might get 10 million dollars per year but only delusional people believe that will happen because he is inconsistent at best. Without Oakland on the schedule he would be sitting there with 1 sack after 4 games. DPOY could be a Redskin….but it would be Kerrigan and not Orakpo. I see Rak as a 9-10 sack generator per year and that will never qualify him for an elite contract. Redskins do not need to overpay with Brandon Jenkins waiting in the wings and Rob Jackson already there.

rickjamesinfo - Oct 3, 2013 at 5:18 PM

P.S. I would be thrilled though…if Orakpo could really get 16 sacks.

Rich Tandler - Oct 3, 2013 at 5:24 PM

Don’t forget that Jackson is a free agent, too, and Jenkins has potential but is unproven. Paul Kruger got an $8 million/year deal from the Browns after one season with nine sacks. He had 6.5 career sacks going into the 2012 season. The market says if you have some degree of pass rushing ability you’ll make something close to $10 million. Rak may not be a dominant pass rusher but he has substantial value and I am not at all confident that the Redskins have an adequate replacement on the team.